Bangkok Air Discovery Pass

A few people have asked for more information regarding using the pass so I decided to post a few tips I learned from my experience.

For those in the US, this year I contacted Bangkok Air directly at 1-866-226-4565 as my travel agent said I should do that instead of paying him to do it.

Because they sometimes don%26#39;t have seat availability for all flights on all days, try to book as soon as possible.

Look up the flight information using the various airline websites so you know what your options are. Flying directly from Luang Prabang to Siem Reap is preferable than having to fly Luang Prabang to Pakse then wait go on to Siem Reap.

Other than the Airbus flights, the planes are smaller than you are probably used to flying. You enter via the stairs in the back. The overhead space is tiny. A normal pack that would fit in a larger plane, may not fit. I saw a few people struggle because their bags wouldn%26#39;t fit.

I received some type of boxed food and a drink on all flights, even when the flight was less than an hour.

I was told the Bangkok and Siem Reap Air flights were confirmed, no reconfirmation needed. For the Lao Air flight segments, they suggested I reconfirm with Lao Air. I took my physical ticket to the Lao Air office in each city I was flying out to have their representative reconfirm. Bring your guesthouse card as they would always ask where to contact me.

Bangkok Air Discovery Pass

Good to have this user report.

';Because they sometimes don%26#39;t have seat availability for all flights on all days, try to book as soon as possible.';

I booked my Discovery Airpass three months in advance (in late October for early February) and still had to rearrange my schedule and re-jig many flights. You do want to have a list before you of which days the flights happen (not all of them go daily), and look for options either side of your preferred dates.

I also paid a large fuel surcharge when booking. Wonder if that%26#39;s now been reduced or removed?

Travelersez, was your ';physical ticket'; anything more than the e-ticket with all the flights on one page?

And, as others have pointed out, depending on where you are, be prepared to pay by some other means than credit card. Purchasing the ticket in Japan, I had to do a bank transfer.

Bangkok Air Discovery Pass

My flights on Bangkok Air and Siem Reap Air last year were etickets, essentially your flight information listed. The Lao Air flights this year were actually the old paper tickets with all the information, codes and amounts. Remember those where they used to tear the piece of paper? That was my experience this year flying from Bangkok/Vientiane/Luang Prabang/Pakse/Bangkok. There was also a decal that said something about reconfirming within 72 hours before departure. I didn%26#39;t want to risk it so I took the time to reconfirm each Lao Air flight at their various offices the day before the flight.

Good question on fuel surcharges. Now that petrol prices have gone down from where they were, are airlines eliminating or lowering their fuel surcharges? Are fuel surcharges something that will be included in ticket prices like taxes and airport charges?

Sorry. I meant to type: Are fuel surcharges going to permanently be a part of airline ticket costs just like taxes and airport charges?

My ';fuel surcharge/insurance surcharge'; with Bangkok Airways in late October amounted to ¥15,700 per ticket (about $170 US).

I don%26#39;t whether fuel surcharges are going to be a permanent part of ticket prices but perhaps they will be there for some time to come. As I understand it, last summer when oil prices seemed destined to keep rising some airlines bought long-term supplies at a fixed price that now turns out to be higher than the current market. If those companies drop ticket prices they%26#39;ll lose (even more) money. But I%26#39;ll bet that in most cases they won%26#39;t be removed as quickly as they were put on.